Universal Constant
by The Almighty Leprechaun
Summary: A series of unrelated AU oneshots about a certain speedster and archer.
1. Three AM

**Here's the first of many in my new Spitfire AU series. I have so many small little oneshot AU plots hanging around I've decided it might be a good idea to put it all in one place. This one is not as AU as some of the others I've had planned, but it's a start. Feedback is appreciated. I hope you enjoy**

**Characters are not mine**

* * *

It was around three in the morning when a certain speedster was awakened by a strong poke to the shoulder. He opened his eyes to see a pitch-dark tent. The old canvas walls gave off an old mildew scent that caused his nose to crinkle. The poking continued. He was almost one hundred percent sure that the source of the annoyance was coming the blonde in the sleeping bag next to him.

"Wally," She whispered. There was earnestness in her voice. The archer was propped up on her elbow so she could get a better look at the speedster.

"What is it beautiful?" He yawned and tried to pull his tiny sleeping bag up higher. Wally wanted to hear what she had to say and return to his slumber as quickly as possible.

"I-I think I love you." Artemis found herself stumbling over her words. Luckily, Wally couldn't see her bright red cheeks.

The redhead replied without thinking. "You _think_ you—Ow!" A hard punch crashed into his shoulder. The archer's confidence had returned.

"Well if you're going to be a dick about it." The blonde huffed and rolled over towards the other wall of the small canvas tent.

"No." He giggled playfully and tried to reach for his girlfriend. "I'm not trying to be a dick, Arty. It's just that—"

"Just what Baywatch? C'mon spit it out," She challenged with a hushed tone. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she anticipated his answer.

"I think I love you too Artemis," He mumbled bashfully. Artemis could tell he was facing away from her.

"You think?" She laughed in a jeering manner. The speedster wasn't getting off easy.

There was a soft whiny sound of a sleeping bag rubbing against the bottom of the tent. Artemis was too busy giggling to herself to sense the freckled arm descending upon her polyester clad form. With a sudden jolt the blonde was swept onto the speedster's chest. Inches apart, she could feel his warm breath wash over her face. His gentle hands rested on the curve of her back.

"No," the redhead replied earnestly. He took a deep breath and pulled the archer in closer. If it weren't pitch black the two would be staring eye to eye. "I am absolutely, positively sure that I am in love with you, Artemis Lian Crock." His smooth baritone whisper sent bolt of ice down her spine. Truth be told, she was speechless.

Her hands found the sides of his face and she laced her fingers in his thick red hair. Artemis' lips had no trouble hitting their target. Wally reacted quickly and deepened the kiss. His hands sent shivers through her skin as they traveled towards her neck. The sleeping bag that encased the archer was peeled away to her waist and the two melted into each other. An old track jersey was the only thing that remained between the two as they held one and other in a heated embrace.

Eventually, Artemis pulled herself away from the speedster for a breath of cool air. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, that was—"

"—Amazing?" Wally chuckled.

The blonde smiled. "That's a good word for it."

"_Hey_!" An angry voice in the adjacent tent cried out without warning. "Will you two put a lid on it? Some of us would like to get a little bit of sleep." Nightwing's voice was harsh.

"Don't get your panties in a wad, boy blunder." Wally snorted. "We were just having a conversation."

"_Some conversation_." Dick grumbled quietly and rolled over in his own tent. "I know we're on a retreat, but if I so much as hear another peep from either of you I'm going to break out the utility belt and fix the problem my self"

Wally knew better than to not take his friend's threat seriously. Artemis, on the other hand, found it challenging to contain her giggling. The speedster placed his hand over the twenty-three year old's mouth in an attempt to muffle her laughter.

He shushed her. "Hey, you wanna face the wrath of Nightwing?" The archer shook her head and took control of her amusement. Wally removed his hand once he was confident his tent mate would not break out in another giggle fit.

"You're a party pooper." She murmured under her breath. Wally couldn't help but grin as she shook his head at the beautiful archer.

Artemis yanked her sleeping bag back on and scooted as close to the redhead as she could. She rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her lean frame. The speedster absentmindedly twirled one of her loose golden locks between his fingers as he gazed off in the dark abyss towards his love's direction. He couldn't see her, but he could imagine what lay within the shadows. It didn't take Wally long to determine that he was the luckiest man alive for having the privilege of being at Artemis's side.

"Goodnight, Beautiful."

"Goodnight, Wallman."

"_I love you."_

"_I love you too."_

* * *

**So what did y'all think? Was it a good start or a little too fluffy? As I said earlier, I'm going to start adding on little AU oneshots and if I start running out of ideas I'll take requests. So let me know what you think. Reviews dont take that long and they can really help an author out. Thank you for reading.**


	2. Goodbye, Wally

**Here's another Au for this little collection. It's a little sad. Sorry. **

**I don't own the characters.**

* * *

"Babe?"

Fluorescent lights in the hallway flickered on. The fleeing figure froze in her steps.

She stood in the doorway. Unmoving like a statue. She tried to will herself forward but her feet refused to budge. Her feet refused to let her leave him again. But she had to, she couldn't stay. She couldn't keep seeing him.

She knew he was behind her. She could feel his eyes glare holes into her back. Her untimely departures were like ripping off a band-aide. It was better to get it over with than prolong the experience. It would be easier for the both of them. She tried to move again, but her feet failed her once more. Why couldn't she leave him? It wasn't like this was her first time leaving him to wake up alone.

He cleared his throat. She could tell he wasn't pleased. She hated doing this to him. Part of her loved him. Hell, most of her loved him. But she knew it would never work. She was oil and he was water.

A woman in her profession had no business hanging around with a vigilante/crime scene investigator. It was even worse that she was sleeping with the guy. Sure he was charming, handsome and had a great sense of humor. He had an easy-going personality and a hyperactive lifestyle. Although, he seemed to lose that sense of humor when he encountered her on the job. She never had a sense of humor to begin with.

She never thought that she would find herself in this position. Usually she was so careful when she left. This was the first time he had caught her in the act. She was planning on leaving for good this time. She had a long-term gig in Paris. For her, the easiest goodbyes were the silent ones. It's best to make a clean break. However, now, she had a feeling things were about to get messy.

He cleared his throat again. She still had her back turned to him, but she could tell he was standing a couple feet behind her. There was no way she could run from him.

"Artemis." His voice was soft and gentle.

She could feel her chest tighten. She really hated this part.

"Please, not again." There was a desperate edge to his tone. His whispers echoed through the small apartment.

She could tell he loved her. A guy like him shouldn't love a girl like her. She said nothing. She didn't know what to tell him. She couldn't tell him where she was going or why she was going there. She couldn't tell him that she didn't think she was good enough for a guy like him. She couldn't tell him that she didn't love him anymore, because that would've been a lie.

She refused to look at him. She couldn't bear the look on his face.

"Artemis,"

Nothing. She stood there and said nothing.

"Answer me!"

She stayed silent. The lump in her chest moved to her throat.

"I know you care." He murmured. "You wouldn't be standing there if you didn't care."

Her mouth clamped shut. Pain welled in her chest. There was no doubt that she cared. She was leaving him because she cared. People in her profession didn't get happy endings. He deserved a happy ending.

She could feel his growing frustration. Her back was still to him. The door in front of her was still open. Freedom was two steps away.

"Please stay." He begged.

His hand found it's way to her shoulder. She bit her lip and shook her head. She shrugged out of his grasp, refusing to look at him.

He froze.

"_Artemis_." His voice was still soft, but now unsure. "_Please_."

She shook her head again. She couldn't do this to him. She couldn't keep putting him in danger.

"Whatever it is, I can handle it."

He couldn't. He had no idea what the life was like. He had no idea how dangerous it was. He'd never survive her demons.

She shook her head once more and tried to find the courage to walk away. This would be the last time she would have to do this.

"Babe, why do you run?" Now he seemed genuinely hurt.

She was so stupid for falling in love in the first place. It was selfish. People like her didn't deserve to fall in love.

"Don't just stand there!" He cried out, causing her to flinch. "_Say something_!"

She couldn't. Tears welled in her eyes.

"Answer me! Dammit!" He begged. His harsh tone was desperate, he loved her like she loved him.

It was not meant to be.

Finally she turned to face him. "There's nothing to say, Wally."

"What do you mean there's nothing to say, Artemis?" He glared. "You can't just leave like this!"

She looked at the floor.

His expression softened. "Please, don't leave me like this."

She bit her lip and looked up at him. She could see the pain in his beautiful green eyes. "I'm sorry. I have to go."

"So this is it, I guess." He frowned and looked away. "Until next time." The words rolled off of his tongue like they left a bitter taste.

She sighed. "There's not going to be a next time, Wally."

She told herself that it would be for the best. It still hurt to leave him. She hated seeing the pain she caused him.

Now he was the quiet one.

"I'm not coming back." She whispered as if the softness of her voice would ease the pain.

He clenched his jaw and fought off the sting of her words. He knew there was nothing he could do but watch her slip through his fingers once more.

"Goodbye, Wally." Her voice cracked as she wrapped her fingers around the door handle.

She gathered up all of the courage she had left and took that final step. Tears freely fell down her face as she descended the stairs. She hated leaving him, but it was for the best. She'd rather him live out the rest of his life with someone else than watch him get hurt at the hands of her enemies. She loved him so much she let him go.

* * *

He said nothing as she vanished around the corner and the door clicked shut. For hours, it seemed, he stood there in his living room and waited for the horrible nightmare to end. But it wasn't going to end, and he knew that. She was gone.

Her words never seemed to sink in. Part of him hoped she would return again, but he knew she wouldn't.

And she never did.

* * *

**So let me know what you think. Hopefully I'll be able to get another chapter of Like Cats and Dogs up soon. And look forward to another piece of 19 years coming your way too. Thank you so much for reading. I hope this little AU wasn't too depressing and sad. I'm always looking for AU ideas. If you have any questions you can ask me here or on my tumblr. Thank you so much for reading. Reviews are encouraged. I really like getting feedback so I can become a better writer. Just remember to be kind, please. Have a nice day!**


	3. What is Known

**Here's a little one-shot drabble thing that can be kinda called an AU. I'm not sure how I feel about this one...**

* * *

Wally West knew a lot of things about Artemis Crock.

He knew she was rude, arrogant, foul-mouthed and short tempered. She had an aptitude for danger and was able to put the fear of god into almost anyone. She had a mouth that would put the worst of sailors to shame and a glare that could give Superman's heat vision a run for its money. And her ridiculous blonde mane shed like a husky in the Sahara, leaving long golden strands all over the goddamn cave.

Artemis was stubborn; once her mind was made up, there was no changing it. Argument only made it worse. Artemis lived for arguments. And she was loud. Oh God, she was SO loud.

He was pretty sure she was part harpy—it would explain a lot.

He knew she wasn't big on commitment or parent teacher conferences. She hated the color pink almost as much as she hated father's day. She wasn't a picky eater, but she couldn't stand ramen or canned ravioli. She never talked about Christmas or birthdays either. And her face would always scrunch up in disgust when the Easter Bunny was mentioned.

He knew she always kept secrets. She was one of the best liars he had ever met. Artemis never mentioned anything in the past. Hell, she didn't even like talking about the previous week. Some would say she lived in the moment; others would accuse her of hiding something.

He knew there were only a handful of people on the planet that could beat her in chess when she really tried, but she never tried—even when she played him.

He knew she liked spiders a lot. While he had never been anywhere near her room in the cave, he had it on good authority that she has a giant pet tarantula named Bitsty.

He knew she pushed people away. Sarcasm was her best friend and a punching bag was her only confidant.

He knew she was annoying, loud and rude.

He knew she probably hated him.

* * *

But what Wally West didn't know, was that he loved her.

Deep down, he loved the way she wrinkled her nose when she was mad.

He loved how she would argue with him all day.

He loved how they were always at odds.

He loved the little smile that appeared on her lips before she took the first sip of her coffee. It was probably the quietest moment of the morning.

He loved the little twinkle of determination in her eyes before she fired her arrows.

The thing about having superspeed was that he could watch the world in slow motion. Wally liked watching Artemis in slow motion. Every little movement she made was calculated and deliberate. Even when she fought. She could even make bashing someone's head in look like art in slow motion.

He loved how she never wasted time. She never moved slowly. Sometimes he even struggled to keep up.

He loved the way she drove. He assumed Artemis recognized the speed limit and basic traffic laws as only a suggestion.

He loved the way she would twirl her hair in her fingers when she read the paper in the morning.

He loved her sly little smirk when she came up with a new insult for him. He loved the fact that she even bothered to do so in the first place.

He loved the way she laughed, even if it was at him.

He loved the way she smiled when she thought no one else was looking.

He loved the way she kind of hated him.

But he didn't know that she didn't hate him at all.

* * *

**Please Let me know what you think of this little drabble. I'm going to try to update Like Cats and Dogs this week, but I have the State tournament so I'm not sure when that is going to happen, but it will but up there soon. I know it's been a long time, but I have a 12 page chapter coming your way (if you read that story). If you have any questions about this story or any of my other stories you can PM me or ask my on tumblr (my link is in my bio) **

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is encouraged. **


	4. Crosshairs

**Sorry It's been some time since I've posted. I found this in my computer and finished it up during lunch. So here's a little CIA AU. Thanks for reading!**

**I don't own the characters. **

* * *

"Artemis! Take the shot!" Wally's voice screamed into her ear. She hated that stupid earpiece. The sniper tried to procrastinate as she fastened her aim on the target.

"Hold on! I don't have it yet." She lied. She could've taken the shot five minutes ago, but something inside of her wouldn't allow her to pull the trigger.

Artemis knew she had to shoot him. It was her job. She'd avoided this moment for years. No one knew who he was to her. They didn't know that she was connected to one of the most notorious mercenaries of the century, and she wanted to keep it that way. A bullet would definitely do the trick, but she couldn't take the damn shot.

She could hear Agent West gritting his teeth on the other side of the line. He was in the getaway car waiting for her to take out their target. "We're running out of time, Agent Crock." His tone was sharp and impatient.

It was their first mission together and Wally made it clear he didn't want her to be on the assignment. Artemis could feel his resentment towards her. If she didn't take the shot soon he'd go back to questioning her loyalty again.

"Be patient," Artemis grunted.

She knew she was running out of time to stall. If her target were any other person she would've dropped them by now. But as much as she wanted to pull the trigger, she couldn't kill her father.

The man in her crosshairs seemed unaware of his imminent demise as he sat at a small table outside a deli. He had half of a club sandwich in front of him and a cup of coffee in his hand. The longer she stared at him the angrier she got. She hated him. She hated what he had made her into. She hated her inability to end his life.

The only things Lawrence Crock had ever given her were half of his genes and a lifetime of baggage. Until now, she had done a good enough job of forgetting her dark past with her father. It was no secret that her father never wanted daughters. He always told Artemis and her older sister that he was working with what he had. He acted like he was doing them a favor by training them for the life. He always made sure to blame for their lack of a Y chromosome.

Artemis hated her father with every fiber of her being. Killing him would make sense. He never practiced restraint during their encounters. However, he acted as if he was the only one with the right to take her life.

The barrel made a soft clicking noise as she loaded the round into chamber. The sound sent chills down her spine, but did not hinder her actions. Artemis took a deep breath before she peered out of her scope one last time to steady her aim. Her finger felt numb as it slowly curled around the trigger. There was a sharp click and the bullet sounded like a whistle as it exited the silencer connected to the end of the barrel.

The sniper immediately turned away and ducked under the ledge of the building she was positioned on. She couldn't bear to watch. Disgust boiled in her chest as her nimble fingers began to disassemble her rifle. Muscle memory took over as she quickly packed her weapon away and policed her brass. Blood pounded in her ears as she tore down ten flights of stairs. She could hear Wally cursing in her earpiece, but ignored him and focused on a clean getaway.

* * *

Agent West pulled up to the curb behind the building seconds before she exited the stairwell. Artemis ignored his glare as she set her rifle in the back seat of the black SUV and slid into shotgun. He took off before she had the chance to close the door.

"What the hell was that!?" he hissed as he accelerated into traffic.

"I missed, Wally. It happens!" She lied again.

He wove in and out of cars. Artemis tensed and held on to one of the handles. She hated his driving. Wally frowned. "Artemis, you don't miss." He grimaced as if it pained him to admit it.

Artemis tried to return his glare. The mask of emotion she usually wore was crumbling. "Well clearly I did. _Eyes on the road."_

The car lurched to the right as he took a corner too fast. Artemis' body hit the window. "Don't change the subject. Why did you miss a shot that even _I_ could make?"

Artemis cursed under her breath and clung to the ceiling handle like her life depended on it. She kept her steely gaze focused on the traffic in front of the vehicle; she couldn't look him in the eye. She knew her actions were selfish. She let their target go with nothing more than a warning. "Everyone makes mistakes." It was a lame excuse, but she prayed her nincompoop of a partner would buy it.

"That's a load of bullshit and you know it!" Wally scoffed. She could feel glare. Usually it wouldn't bother her, but today it only added to the uneasy feeling in her stomach. For some reason she gave a crap about what that idiot thought of her.

Artemis ran her fingers through her thick blonde ponytail and sighed. Maybe she could play the sympathy card.

"I-I'm sorry."

A vein threatened to burst out of Wally's forehead. "_You're sorry? That's all you can say? You're sorry? _You just threw six months worth of work down the toilet _and_ let one of the most infamous mercenaries on the CIA's wanted list get away, and all you can say is that you're sorry?"

Artemis didn't reply. She could feel the tension fill the small space as silence overtook the SUV. She could feel Agent West's anger build. He was ticking like a time bomb.

"Goddammit, Artemis!" He exploded. "You had one job! _One. Fucking. Target_. And you blew it! You fucked up the easiest possible mission you could have had! It was a fool-proof assignment!"

Artemis's eyes flashed with anger. "Wally! Will you give it a rest? You make mistakes too!"

His face was as red as his hair. "_I_ don't let targets go. Especially not high profile targets like the Sportsmaster!" He spat the words out like they left a bad taste in his mouth.

She gritted her teeth and struggled to maintain her cool. "I didn't try to miss!"

"That's a load of bull!" he bellowed. "You've been lying this whole time! As far as I can tell, you've never told truth!"

"Now you're questioning my loyalty?" she shrieked. Artemis had fought tooth and nail to get to where she was. She was tired of her allegiances being questioned.

His eyes narrowed as they glanced at her. "You missed on purpose!" he hissed. "There's gotta be a reason for that."

Artemis turned to the window again and bit her tongue. She couldn't let her anger get the best of her. "I am not on his side!" she scoffed at his accusation.

Wally growled. "Then why? Why did you miss, _Agent Crock_? Why did you—"

"BECAUSE HE'S MY FATHER!" She roared without thinking.

Wally's mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. The blood had drained from his face and his eyes were wide with shock. He suddenly became more interested in the road than their conversation. The car fell silent in the wake of her outburst.

Her anger faded quickly and she let out a resigned sigh. "I'm truly sorry I let him go, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill him."

Wally's eyes were now glued traffic. It was clear that he was very uncomfortable and somewhat upset. When he did glance over at her he stared at her like she had grown a second head. "Oh," was all he could manage to say.

The air was tense and Wally's driving seemed to calm down as they hit the toll road. Neither agent spoke for the next five minutes.

* * *

"Why did you take the mission?" Wally asked quietly a little while later. "If you didn't want to kill your….Father, then why did you come?"

Artemis looked away from the window. "When I signed on to this assignment it was a seek and detain mission." She chewed on her lip as she searched for the right words. "I know it was selfish, but I wanted to be the one to bring that bastard in. I wanted to lay my demons to rest and this was my chance. It would be the best way. I know him better than any of you. I know what he's truly capable of."

Wally nodded. He understood her reasoning. "You just didn't anticipate the change in the mission."

"Exactly. I never thought they'd actually put out a kill order. There isn't a fiber of my being that doesn't hate that man. And as much as I want him dead, I can't do the deed myself."

"That's reasonable." Wally couldn't imagine the situation she was put in.

"I'm sorry for ruining the mission," She whispered.

"No, no, it's okay." Wally started to reach out to give her a reassuring pat on her shoulder, but then settled for awkwardly placing his arm on the top of her seat. He really didn't know how to react in this kind of situation.

"Thanks."

Artemis stared out the window and watched as the city faded into the distance, giving way the plain landscape that bordered the interstate.

* * *

Silence plagued the vehicle for about fifteen minutes before Wally could not stand it anymore.

"So this is what you've been hiding this whole time?" It was a dumb question, but he had no idea what else to say.

"Yeah."

She wouldn't look at him. It was odd, usually Artemis was very confrontational and aggressive, but it was clear that she was very protective of her past. Wally had a feeling that he had only seen the tip of the iceberg, but she seemed to trust him enough to tell him. "Y'know I think we should keep this between us for now."

Artemis looked up from the window. She was quite surprised. "Thanks. You don't have to…"

"No, it's fine." He smiled in an effort to lighten the mood. "So you've never missed?"

She shook her head. "It's been a very long time since I've missed my target."

"That's what I thought."

Wally had a million questions for his partner, but knew now was not the time. In the past twenty minutes he had learned more about Agent Crock than he had In the past three years.

"Who knows?" he mused.

Artemis furrowed her brow. "Who knows about what?"

"About your father?" It was a bold move for the agent. Wally didn't expect an answer from his partner.

Artemis remained quiet for a minute. "Ollie, Dinah and Bruce know. I'm sure a few of the senior agents are aware of it too."

"I see." There was not much more Wally could say that wouldn't put him in dangerous waters.

* * *

Their conversation quickly died and the car returned to silence. Wally watched the cars pass by as they headed back towards Langley.

Artemis was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Wally?"

"Yeah?"

Artemis smiled slightly. "Thank you for doing this. Truce?"

Wally grinned. Starting over was a good plan. He thought she would never ask. "That sound's nice."

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Feedback is encouraged! For those of you who also read my other stories. The next chapter of Like Cats and Dogs is in the works. I'm working on it whenever I can, but free time is hard to find this time of year. Thanks for your support and don't be afraid to ask me questions or send me AU prompts. You can either PM me or contact me on tumblr (Link is in my bio) **

**Thank you!**


	5. A Night on the Town

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been a few months. I've been really busy. I'm trying to work on stories, but school and work need to come first. I'm sorry if I'm a little rusty. Please let me know what you think.**

**I don't own the characters.**

* * *

"Sir, would you like to order a starter while you wait?"

Wally faked a smile. "No. I'm sure she's going to be here soon."

"Alright." The waiter pursed his lips and gave a small nod before walking away.

This was embarrassing. Linda should've been there an hour ago. Wally didn't want to accept that she stood him up. He really thought they had a thing going too. Everyone was shooting apologetic looks his direction, only making the situation worse.

Unwilling to give up, Wally grabbed another breadstick and decided to give Linda ten more minutes.

* * *

Artemis wouldn't really consider herself a particularly nice person. Sure, she was nice to people, but that was only when she had to be. However, she wouldn't call herself completely heartless either.

She was a Friday night regular at The Bistro. Her work colleagues always met up at the bar for the happy hour to start off the weekend. Today Artemis found herself paying more attention to her surroundings instead of the conversation. She couldn't help but notice a man sitting by himself in the corner. He had been there for some time and had not ordered food yet. It seemed like he was waiting for someone. She wasn't the only one that noticed the man's predicament.

"Poor fella." The bartender shook his head. "Mike says he's been sitting there for over an hour."

Artemis frowned, "That's awful." She glanced back over to the man's direction. He looked familiar. She'd seen him around the courthouse a few times. She recalled he was an expert witness of some kind. He was kind of cute, in her opinion.

She glanced back over to her colleagues. They were still arguing about one of the cases they were working with. Artemis had lost track of the conversation and had no intention of catching up. She looked back over to the man in the corner. She felt bad for the poor guy.

Artemis wasn't sure what came over her, because the next thing she knew she was walking over to that man's table. He didn't seem to notice she was there until she slipped into the seat.

"I'm so sorry I'm late sweetie, you wouldn't believe the day I've had!" Artemis said a little louder than she had to so everyone would stop staring at the poor guy.

The man looked at her like she had sprouted a second head. "Who are you?"

Artemis settled herself into her seat and picked up a menu. "Your date."

He looked like he was at a loss for words. "But why are you here?" He asked in a soft voice. It was like he didn't trust the words coming out of his mouth.

"You looked like you could use some company." Artemis folded her menu and snatched a breadstick out of the basket on the table. She wasn't really sure what to do, she was making this all up on the spot.

The man seemed to be in the same position. Though he seemed to relax a little bit since the patrons had stopped staring.

"Look, I can leave if you want me to. I was just trying to help you out."

"No, no it's just—Thank you." He seemed relieved.

Artemis shrugged, "No problem."

This was a lot more interesting than talking about caseloads with her colleagues.

The man had relaxed a little bit more, but he didn't stop staring. Artemis didn't really mind. She would probably do the same if anyone put her in this situation.

"So you got a name?" His smile was nervous, but he was putting up a good effort to play along.

"Artemis. You?" She couldn't help the smile that crept across her lips. All previous regrets about helping this poor man had washed away.

"Wally. Nice to meet you."

She laughed, "Likewise."

He flashed her another grin. This time he was more confident with himself. "So what do you do for a living?"

"I'm an attorney, you?" She assumed she already knew the answer to her question, but it was polite to ask. She didn't want to come off as a creeper.

"CSI."

"That's cool!"

* * *

They ended up talking for the rest of the night. They seemed to have a lot in common. She told him about how she grew up in Gotham. He told her about his best friend in Gotham. Oddly enough, they both attended Stanford at the same time. She moved to Central City for law school and he could never imagine living anywhere else.

Wally spent his free time training for marathons. Artemis taught archery classes at the YMCA. She didn't have a lot of free time with her job, but she always made time to teach a class at least once a month. Archery was her ticket out of Gotham and she hoped to give that opportunity to other kids.

The evening seemed to last forever for Artemis and Wally, but it was not long enough. They talked long after they finished their meals. Wally insisted on paying the bill even after Artemis' offer to pay her half. It was his way of repaying her after saving the day.

After leaving the restaurant they walked down the block after getting some ice cream.

"Thank you for doing this, Artemis." Wally found his fingers intertwined with hers. He was sure he thanked her at least one hundred times before, but he felt that it was not enough.

She smiled and shook her head. "Wally you don't have to thank me every five seconds. I get it. No need to worry about it."

He shrugged sheepishly, "Just making sure."

Artemis squeezed his hand. Wally could feel his face grow warm. The phone in his pocked buzzed. He hated to let go of her hand, but his ice cream cone was in the other. He scowled as he saw who was on the other line. Linda was the last person he wanted to talk to at the moment. He really wanted to ignore her, but Linda was the kind of person who called until she got the results she wanted.

"Hello." He barely had a chance to talk before she began talking.

"Hey Wally. I'm so sorry I stood you up tonight. I double booked my calendar and didn't realize we were going out tonight until a few minutes ago. Can we take a rain check and meet up some other time. I really hope—"

"Linda don't worry about it. I completely understand. There's no need to reschedule. I hope you have a nice night."

Wally hung up on her before she had a chance to respond. He'd be lying if he were to say he wasn't at least a little bit butthurt about the fact that she stood him up, but he had a feeling that he knew someone that was going to help him get over that really quick.

"I'm guessing that was your date." Artemis seemed pleased with the way he handled the conversation.

Wally tried to seem indifferent about the subject. "Yeah. Apparently she double booked this evening."

Something flashed in Artemis' eyes and she grabbed his hand again. "Her loss."

A smile found its way onto Wally's lips. "Yeah, her loss." He repeated. All feelings he had for Linda vanished after that phone call. He didn't like her. He did hate her. He wished her the best, but as far as he was concerned that woman could find a new anonymous source for her stories.

He didn't know what it was, but there was something about being with Artemis that felt right. He was glad that Linda stood him up because Artemis was so much better. He didn't know what he did to deserve such a great kindness from a complete stranger. The night could not have been more perfect. Artemis could have not been more perfect.

Wally stopped walking. They stood under one of the streetlamps. The warm glow of the light make Artemis' hair look like it was made of pure gold. Wally had never seen anything more beautiful. It was then he knew, as he looked into her beautiful eyes, that he would marry her one day. He had never been so sure of as he was about this. There was something inside of him that knew. Artemis was the one.

He leaned in and kissed her. Artemis melted into his embrace. Sparks flew and he could swear he heard fireworks going off in the distance. He never wanted to let go.

Eventually they stopped. Wally found himself staring at her. She smiled. Her cheeks were flushed and he had no doubt that his were as well, but he didn't care. There were very few things that Wally was sure of, but he knew that this was only the start of something great.

If he ever ran into Linda again he needed to be sure to thank her for introducing him to the best thing that had ever happened to him.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Hopefully I'll get the chance to write more soon. Please leave feedback. I love hearing from you guys. I'll take questions, reactions and (as always) AU plot ideas. Thank you for your time. **


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